The Sheffield Culture Bulletin
Read on for a stacked roundup of culture sector opportunities and workshops, including arts marketing training from Culture Sheffield, filmmaker commissions with DocFest, opportunities in the Outdoor Arts sector and much more!
Remember to
- submit your events, opportunities and resources
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- send us your images to feature on the bulletin!
Now, let's get into it.
 Cupola Gallery's sculpture garden, Credit Ai Narapol
Culture Sheffield events
All our events and opportunities are updated on the Sheffield Culture Hub. If you want to find out what's on in-between bulletins, head over to our site.
Arts Marketing Skills: Building your web presence, 12th May 2026 - Join us in May as we explore some practical digital marketing skills, delving into the world of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This event will be most useful if you already have a website.
It will help you build your online presence, boost event promotions and spread the word about your creative practice. Be sure to bring a laptop to do some live work on your site!
Creative Futures - Leadership Development: Building Networks, 12th June 2026 - Creative Futures returns with a dynamic in-person session dedicated to networking and partnerships for Sheffield’s creative and cultural leaders.
Through highly interactive exercises, conversations and peer-led activities, we will explore how to build meaningful connections, grow collaborative projects and strengthen the ecosystem around your work.
Culture Club is returning in June - date TBC - If you haven't been to Culture Club before and want to know what to expect, check out what we got up last time by clicking the title link. These events are a great, relaxed way to meet people from across the cultural sector in Sheffield.
More events are coming! We're just confirming our 2026/27 pipeline, then many more will be announced.
Culture Sheffield support
If you want to find out how to work with our team or access support, visit the below page on our website. We've also listed further useful links beneath it.
Issues with Business Rates in Sheffield - Culture Sheffield can support cultural organisations with business rates queries early on by helping to signpost to the right advice. Check out the above link for more info. You can also visit Business Sheffield's new pratical guide explaining changes to rates.
Arts marketing tips and tricks - In this blog you’ll find some tips and tricks for grassroots arts marketing. Expect to find free/low-cost tips and plenty of Sheffield-specific advice with local promotional opportunities.
Culture by night - Check out our new website section dedicated to supporting nighttime culture in the city. You can find MVT's recent planning guide amongst other resources. If you have a resource to share on this page (or anywhere on the site), then get in touch!
Our other useful tabs include:
- Support for artists and freelancers
- Support for cultural organisations
- Cultural events support at Sheffield City Council
Culture Sheffield news & updates
Cultural Networks Funds awardees announced! - At the end of last year we commissioned a fund for Cultural Networks in Sheffield, and we can now announce the awardees and how they'll be using the grant money.
We caught up with Sheffield Indie Book Festival - We chatted to Sarah and Rosie from Juno books to see how they're getting on ahead of the Sheffield Indie Book Fest.
What's on in Sheffield? - More info about what's on in spring can be found via the title link, and we'll have a full spring events update at the beginning of April!
Contact us
We are available to contact about advice around space-use, business rates issues, propositions for workshop collaborations and anything in between!
If we don't have the answer, we'll try signpost you to someone who does.
Remember to check out our website first, and if you can't find the answer to your query, feel free to reach out via the below form.
 Culture Club 4 at the National Videogame Museum, Credit Jacob Flannery
Artist opportunities
Looking for commissions and opportunities? Look no further! Follow our LinkedIn for regular updates and see the below list for some great openings.
British Transpant Games performance opportunities - This annual event celebrates and raises awareness about organ donations. There are two opportunities for groups of dancers, performers or musicians to be a part of this as Sheffield plays host in summer!
Filmmaker challenge with DocFest - Twelve filmmakers from Yorkshire, Cornwall and Wales will each create a 3 minute non-fiction film in and around one of the three locations. Apply now!
Syllabus IX applications with Site Gallery - Syllabus offers time for artists from across the UK to discuss ideas, work, life and approaches to practice, while building community and taking risks.
Creative Practitioners wanted for Creative Health sessions - The Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance (CHWA) is looking for creative practitioners to run 3 sessions to support their work in Barnsley.
Apply to Festival Focus - Applications are now open for Festival Focus, a professional development opportunity which offers Outdoor Arts professionals the chance to attend festivals as part of a small cohort.
The British Art Prize 2026 - Enter for the chance to win prizes worth over £10,000, a solo exhibition at a major London gallery and be featured in their magazine.
Opportunity Tuesday newsletter - Be sure to check out Linda Bloomfield's weekly newsletter. It's another great update full of paid opportunities!
Other freelance openings
Lifedrawing model at Sheffield College - They are looking for a confident, reliable individual to support their Arts & Creative Academy in life drawing sessions.
Opportunity for young artists - Create a 100th birthday card for Sir David Attenborough with DocFest!
Grand Départ 2027 Poster Competition - Design opportunity for young students with Tour de France!
Training in the screen industry - BBC and YouTube have partnered with the National Film and Television School to design three cutting-edge training programmes for television producers, creators and journalists.
Collaborate with Sheffield College - If you’re a freelancer, studio, creative business or cultural organisation, there are some great ways to collaborate with Sheffield College. Reach out to laura.poole@sheffcol.ac.uk if interested!
Casting call for couples - Bright Entertainment at ITV Studios are currently casting for a brand-new show about childhood sweethearts. If you want to find out more, contact casting@potatotv.co.uk.
Job vacancies & volunteering
Looking for a fresh start and a new challenge? Follow our LinkedIn for regular updates and see the below list for some great vacancies.
Neighbourhood Producer at RivelinCo - RivelinCo are excited to be recruiting to help co-design and deliver a vibrant year-round programme of creative events and activities, for and with communities in North Sheffield.
Head of Marketing at Waterbear College - WaterBear is expanding, and they need a Head of Marketing to lead operational delivery of their marketing strategy.
Health Improvement Officer at Sheffield City Council - Join a team focused on prevention, inequalities and partnership, with some key focuses on creative health.
Community Services Officer at Sheffield City Council - If you are passionate about making a difference to people’s lives and communities, this could be the role for you.
Youth Voice & Influence Worker at Sheffield City Council - Are you passionate about making a difference for children in care and care-experienced young people? Apply now.
Volunteer with Andro & Eve - Andro and Eve are looking to expand their volunteer team who support their events for the LGBTQ+ community and friends.
PSA about entry level creative careers! - Join Creative Careers Club on discord to find out what's available.
 Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus, Credit Maria Ellwood
Workshops & training
SYFAB training for voluntary and community organisations, Spring 2026 - Improve your fundraising skills with these essential workshops.
Free events for charities this spring - Thanks Fair Collective for putting this list together!
Funding Surgery for Voluntary & Community Groups, 1st May 2026 - Another great installment of SYFAB's training and advice.
Practical Business Skills for creatives, 12th May 2026 - A practical session designed to empower creatives with foundational commercial skills.
Working with Content Creators and Influencers, 14th May 2026 - Discover the world of digital influencer marketing in this useful and practical session.
The Art of Being Silly, 30th May 2026 - The Art of Being Silly is a welcoming, light-hearted workshop for anyone who wants more playfulness in their life.
Cultural Governance Alliance events, Spring 2026 - Check out a range of useful events related to cultural governance, such as chairing meetings and how to be an effective trustee.
Artworks Together workshops!, Spring 2026 - Book onto these free creative workshops. Either attend in person at various sites, or invite AWT to your school to deliver the sessions. You can read more about the programme on their website, and stay tuned for an article about professional development at the festival on the Sheffield Culture Hub (coming soon!).
Trustee training Sheffield, July 2026 - Have you recently become a charity trustee, or are you thinking about it? Join this new peer-to-peer trustee training.
Conferences, networking & festivals
NCACE Festival of Cultural Knowledge Exchange, 20th - 24th April 2026 - This festival aims to celebrate and shine a light on collaborative research activities, cultural knowledge exchange and all kinds of partnerships between universities and the arts and cultural sectors.
Future-Based Cultural Exchange at the University of Sheffield, 24th April 2026 - University of Sheffield Arts and Humanities researchers and the cultural practitioners they work with, share where they are on their journeys to create new relationships with communities and ecosystems.
Kelham Jazz Festival: Post-event celebration and networking, 27th April 2026 - Come network with organisers, educational partners and artists. There'll be free food, drinks, performances and talks!
Sauti and Spice, 25th April 2026 - Sauti & Spice is a live music experience built around African and African Diaspora rhythms and all types of dances, conversations, and connections. Come to network, dance and eat!
Future of Theatre Conference, 28th April 2026 - The Stage is pleased to announce that its scheme offering free tickets for freelancers will return for 2026’s Future of Theatre conference, so apply ASAP!
Creative Health in Barnsley - what's our next step?, 18th May 2026 - Join them for a creative afternoon exploring their priorities for the next year to support creative health delivery and its workforce.
Creativity and Wellbeing Week, 18th - 24th May 2026 - A festival of creative health is coming this May.
A year of Creative Health, 2026 - There are so many big in-person and hybrid events coming up this year for creative health, so the CHWA have made a list!
The Big Lunch / The Big Help Out!, 5th - 8th June 2026 - The Big Lunch - an annual celebration for neighbours and communities - is joining forces with The Big Help Out to encourage people to take action and do something where they live this June. Whether you’re a charity, business, council, housing association or community group, there are so many benefits to getting involved!
Sector resources & support
Below is just a taster of the support you can tap into. You can find many more resources for artists/creatives, VCSEs and cultural organisations on our website.
Grow your creative business - Want to know what finance is available to grow your creative business in the UK? Click the above link.
Cultural Networks in Sheffield - Cultural Networks are groups that gather round a particular theme, such as climate, African Heritage, grassroots music and much more. If you want to link up with people doing a similar thing to you, then plugg into the relevant networks! Click the title link and navigate to the 'Cultural Networks' tab so see local groups.
Place-based working resources - Curious Minds has created this padlet to help navigate government policy, manage a partnership, governance, youth voice, and other resources from their training and development programmes.
Marketing Sheffield stakeholder newsletter - Sign up for key industry updates, press stories and positive developments in the city, with updates on what their team has been working on and ways for you to get involved.
 ArtWorks Together at Millenium Gallery, Credit Adam Gallworthy
Grants & funding
Funding Finder - A free charity grant finder database.
Heritage Revival Grants - The Heritage Revival Fund has been created to help communities across England rescue and repurpose neglected historic buildings.
Business Productivity and Digitisation Grant Scheme - The Business Productivity and Digitisation Grant Scheme supports small to medium sized enterprises in South Yorkshire to grow, become more productive and measure that improvement.
Local Growth Fund Low Carbon Project - This project provides dedicated support and a source of funding for eligible businesses to reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Digital Commisions Grant Scheme - The wider aim of the funding programme is to build the arts and cultural sector's capacity for making and distributing digital content.
Chronic Pain Support Grants Scheme (creative health initiatives welcome) - This grant scheme supports community-led pain management peer support that builds knowledge, confidence and connection, helping residents to live well with pain and reduce avoidable pressure on health and care services.
Be sure to check our further resources at:
- The South Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau
- Culture Sheffield's funding support page
News & call-outs
Looking for new volunteers? - In June, The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out are coming together for a UK-wide weekend of friendship, food, fun and action. Encourage people to discover volunteering with your organisation by listing short, fun and flexible activities to try on GoVo!
Art UK digitises thousands of murals - From medieval church wall paintings to Liam Gallagher’s viral X post, charity has catalogued more than 6,600 pieces.
UK Research and Innovation launches creative industries strategy - UKRI's high-level R&D strategy for the creative and cultural economy will ensure research and innovation drives and sustains growth in the creative industries.
Exploring how social connections and behaviours affect health - "By conducting cutting-edge, cross disciplinary research, our aim is to determine how our health is influenced by both social ‘assets’ and ‘deficits’. These include social relationships, arts, culture and leisure (assets), as well as loneliness, isolation, and social restrictions (deficits)."
Apprenticeships and AI policy - The Government has made a number of announcements on apprenticeships and has changed its position on AI and copyright, which matter directly to people working across the screen industries.
Have you recently started a creative role in Sheffield? - Share your story with us to chat about collaborating on a blog for our website! Contact murray.wood@sheffield.gov.uk.
Call for participation - Demonstrating the value of creative health in South Yorkshire. For more information, please send an email to chb@shu.ac.uk.
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